Manuscripts Department
Library of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
SOUTHERN HISTORICAL COLLECTION
#4014
RUPERT BAYLESS VANCE PAPERS
Inventory
Abstract: Rupert B. Vance (1899-1975), Kenan professor of
sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill, was associated with the Institute of Research in
Social Science at the University from the 1920s to the
1970s. He was a leading sociologist of the American
South and actively encouraged social, political, and
economic changes in the region.
Correspondence, mostly scattered, of Vance, about
fifty drafts and other writings by Vance, and
miscellaneous other items. Correspondence, chiefly
from the 1950s, deals largely with Vance's projects
involving economic and social conditions in the South
and with his administrative duties. There also are a
letter, 1935, from poet Donald Davidson (1893-1968);
letters, 1933, 1949, 1954, from C. Vann Woodward
(1809- ); and letters, various dates, from Howard W.
Odum. Letters from the 1930s discuss the status of
sociology at the University of North Carolina.
Online Catalog Terms:
College teachers--North Carolina--History--20th century.
Davidson, Donald, 1893-1968.
Odum, Howard Washington, 1884-1954.
Sociology--Study and teaching--North Carolina.
Southern States--Economic conditions--20th century.
Southern States--Social conditions--20th century.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Faculty--History
--20th century.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962). Institute of
Research in Social Science--History.
Vance, Rupert Bayless, 1899- .
Woodward, C. Vann (Comer Vann), 1908- .
Size: About 750 items (2.5 linear feet).
Provenance: Received from the North Carolina Collection,
UNC-CH Library, in 1971, and from Rheba U. Vance
of Chapel Hill in February 1977 and February 1990.
Access: Restricted. May be read for information only.
Permission to cite, copy, or publish must be
requested from Victor Stuart Vance of Chapel Hill.
Related Collections: HOWARD WASHINGTON ODUM PAPERS (#3167)
GUY BENTON JOHNSON PAPERS (#3826)
Copyright: Retained by the authors of items in these papers, or
their descendants, as stipulated by United States
copyright law.
INTRODUCTION
Biographical Note
Rupert Bayless Vance was born in 1899 in Plummerville,
Arkansas. He received a masters degree in economics from
Vanderbilt University, then, in 1926, joined the faculty of the
Sociology Department of the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. He remained at Chapel Hill for forty years, playing
a leading role in the introduction of the sociological study of
the South.
Vance was a prolific writer, publishing seven books and
hundreds of articles. Through his writings, teaching, and public
appearances, he made it clear that he was not only interested in
the analysis of social problems. Following the lead of his
mentor Howard W. Odum, Vance often went beyond analysis, daring
to suggest solutions and urging the South to embrace economic,
political, and social progress. Vance's approaches to his work
evolved along with the discipline of sociology, and, in the 1950s
and 1960s, he concentrated on new statistical methods and
demography.
Vance's interests and activities ranged beyond sociology. He
served, for example, on the governing board of the University of
North Carolina Press and was active in community work. Rupert
Vance died on 25 August 1975.
For additional information see sketches of Vance by Edgar T.
Thompson in The Encyclopedia of Southern History and by Elizabeth
McGehee in Encyclopedia of Southern Culture (1989).
Collection Overview
These papers chiefly relate to Rupert Vance's career as a
sociologist. The extent of the collection is disappointing.
According to his wife, this is partly explained by the fact that
Vance routinely discarded incoming correspondence Some incoming
correspondence survives, however, especially from the early and
later years, and there is enough material to give a sense of the
range of Vance's professional interests.
Arrangement is as follows:
Series 1. Correspondence
Series 2. Writings by Vance
Series 3. Writings by Others
Series 4. Other Papers
Series 5. Pictures
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series 1. Correspondence
1932-1975 and undated. About 575 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Carbon copies of outgoing correspondence and original incoming
letters, with almost half of the series dating from the 1950s.
The letters are to and from colleagues around the country and
relate to many of Vance's professional interests. Although
somewhat scattered, much of this correspondence is fairly
substantive in nature. Early correspondence largely centers on
Vance's efforts to gather information for his various works in
progress. While substantive correspondence never completely
disappears, beginning in the early 1950s, a higher percentage of
letters dealing with administrative matters (recommendations for
students and colleagues, arranging of conferences, etc.) is
present.
Of particular interest are letters to and from historian C.
Vann Woodward (November 1933, September 1949, September 1954) and
from poet Donald Davidson (27 February 1935). In February and
May 1937, there are letters from Howard Odum, including one on 14
May 1937 in which Odum outlined why he thought Vance should stay
at the University of North Carolina rather than accept a
teaching/research position at from Louisiana State University.
Letters about sociology at UNC are especially prominent around
1937, when Vance, as chair of the Committee on the Status of the
Social Sciences in the Liberal Arts Program, solicited views from
his colleagues on the position of the social sciences at UNC.
There is also considerable correspondence between Vance and the
UNC Press, for which he reviewed many manuscripts in the 1950s.
Folder 1 1932-1933
2 1934-1935
3 1936
4 1937
5 1938-1941
6 1942-1944
7 1945-1946
8 1947-1948
9 January 1949
10 February 1949
11 March 1949
12 April-December, 1949
13 January-May 1950
14 June-September 1950
15 October-December 1950
16 January 1951
17 February 1951
18 March 1951
19 April-June 1951
20 July-October 1951
21 April-September 1952
22 October-December 1952
23 January-March 1953
24 April-September 1953
25 October-December 1953
26 January-March 1954
27 April-June 1954
28 July-December 1954
29 January-March 1955
30 April-June 1955
31 July-December 1955
32 January-June 1956
33 July-December 1956
34 January-March 1957
35 April-June 1957
36 September-December 1957
37 January-March 1958
38 April-May 1958
39 June 1958
40 July-December 1958
41 1959
42 1960
43 1961
44 1963
45 January-March 1964
46 April-June 1964
47 July-December 1964
48 January-March 1965
49 April-December 1965
50 January-August 1966
51 October-December 1966
52 1967
53 1968
54 1969-1971
55 1972
56 1973
57 1974-1975
58 Undated
Series 2. Writings by Vance
1926-1972. About 50 items.
Notes and draft and published versions of essays, lectures,
speeches, and book chapters. There are multiple drafts of a few
of the essays.
Handwritten and Typed Versions
Folder 59 Book reviews
60-63 Essays
64 "Population and Its Problems"
65-66 Lectures and speeches
67 Miscellaneous book chapters
68-70 Miscellaneous notes
69 Miscellaneous writings
71-74 The Urban South: A Symposium
75-76 Other writings
Published Versions
Folder 77 Book reviews
78 Essays
79 The Negro Agricultural Worker under Federal
Rehabilitation Program
Series 3. Writings by Others
Ca. 1935-1970. About 25 items.
Published and unpublished essays by colleagues of Rupert
Vance.
Folder 80-83 Appalachian Studies
84 A-M
85-86 Odum, Howard W.
87 P-Z and unascribed
Series 4. Other Papers
Ca. 1928-1968. About 100 items.
Awards, clippings, financial records, items relating to the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Institute for
Research in Social Science, copies of Vance's r‚sum‚ and other
biographical materials, and miscellaneous items.
Folder 88 American Red Cross, 1951-1953
89 Awards, 1928-1965
90 Clippings, 1946-1975. Reviews of Vance's books
and articles about Vance
91 Financial records, 1938-1955. Chiefly royalty
statements, paycheck stubs, and consulting
contracts.
92 Institute for Research in Social Science,
1937-1966. Memoranda and other routine
materials
93 Miscellaneous, 1935-1971. Programs from
meetings of various organizations, journal
prospectuses, and other items.
94 R‚sum‚s and related materials, 1957-1968
95 University of North Carolina, 1936-1967. Class
notes and other materials relating to the
Sociology Department and to the University in
general
Series 5. Pictures
Undated. 4 items.
P-4014/1-2 Portraits of Rupert Bayless Vance
/3-4 Rupert Bayless Vance and colleagues
SHELF LIST
Box 1. Series 1 Folders 1-58
Series 2 Folders 59-70
Box 2. Series 2 Folders 71-79
Series 3 Folders 80-87
Series 4 Folders 88-93
Items separated:
P-4014/1-4